How Coconut Oil Protects Skin

You'll find coconut oil in many skin care products as well as on grocery store shelves. It has emollient, antioxidant, antifungal and antibacterial properties that lead to potential benefits for your skin. It is frequently found as a moisturizing and skin-softening ingredient in care products, says A. Rohman, lead author for a 2009 analysis of the oil published in the "Pakistan Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences." Coconut oil has long been popular among Polynesians, who are noted for beautiful skin, adds Bruce Fife, author of "The Coconut Oil Miracle."

Features

Coconut oil is mainly made up of medium-chain fatty acids. Such molecules are small and so can readily penetrate cell membranes, as opposed to long-chain fatty acids in animal fats and many other vegetable oils, according to "Coconut Oil," by Siegfried Gursche.

Significance

Virgin coconut oil may be helpful for wound healing, say K.G. Nevin and T.Rajamohan, authors of a 2010 study published in "Skin Pharmacology and Physiology." The authors found that applying coconut oil sped healing, in part due to a higher turnover in collagen. The study was conducted on rats, however, so more study is needed to see if this benefit translates to humans.

Function

Coconut oil provides antioxidant activity when it's applied to skin, says Harald Tietze, author of "Coconut: Rediscovered as Medicinal Food." Antioxidants help protect your skin from damage caused by the sun's UV rays.

Benefits

Coconut oil has emollient properties that benefit your skin, according to the Cosmetics Info website. Emollients help to prevent water loss from your skin and have a soothing and softening effect, says Paula Begoun, author of "The Original Beauty Bible." Coconut oil even provides relief to chapped or irritated skin, notes Fife.

Potential

Coconut oil may provide antibacterial action that can help prevent staph infections, says V.M. Verallo-Rowell, lead author for a 2008 study published in the journal "Dermatitis." Verallo-Rowell studied the effect of coconut oil on people suffering atopic dermatitis. People with this dry skin condition are susceptible to such skin infections, the author notes. The oil has antifungal properties that can be used to fight Candida as well, notes D.O. Ogbolu, lead author for a 2007 study published in the "Journal of Medicinal Food."